OPAL’S HOMESTEAD HACKS Dishing up some health-helpers

Gotta love the simpler things in life. When you grow up in a family who takes pride in DIY — and I mean from digging a well to one-man home construction and “sun showers” (don’t ask), simple becomes a life philosophy. That’s Opal Harbert in a nutshell.

Why throw away what you can reuse? Why buy what you can make yourself?

So far we’ve hacked in pickle juice and hacked in bulk, hacked in the garden and the garbage. And that immune-boosting, homemade bone broth. So easy.

Today we’re hackin’ health.

Don’t worry; this column makes no attempt to replace medical advice. But if you’ve never tried them, some basics work in complement to help relieve symptoms. Beyond the ever-popular elderberries suggested by homeopathic types (with mixed reviews from the medical community), simpler things sure can’t hurt.

Got sore muscles? Head for the pantry.

“Fill a sock with dried beans or uncooked rice. Tie the end, microwave it a minute or so (to start), and use it as a heating pad for sore muscles or earache,” Opal said. “It just feels good.”

Congested? Get steamy.

“Sit in a steaming-hot shower, or heat up steamy water and put a towel over your head like a tent to collect that heat,” she said.

Opal said mullein tea also works well for chest congestion. Just be sure and strain it first, because mullein has tiny hair-like fibers which may irritate the skin and you don’t want to drink. She suggests putting a coffee filter over the cup to catch them while the hot water is poured in.

“Mullein grows wild, but I buy it in the herbal section of the grocery store. If you mix it with a little bit of mint it improves the flavor.”

Mild fever? If you’ve already been seen by a doctor and are just waiting it out, one way to draw down the heat is with wet alcohol socks. Sounds weird, but it’s been tried and true in this writer’s family for generations, and is easier on the liver than Tylenol:

Take two pairs of socks, one thick, one thin. Soak the thin pair in cold water mixed with just a little rubbing alcohol. Squeeze the drips out, then place them on the feet and cover with the thick, dry pair. Go to bed and don’t be surprised if the fever’s gone when you wake up.

“That’s a perfect time to have your bone broth!” Opal added.

Just please check with your doctor before self-treating any illness.